Shadows: Book One of the Eligia Shala (26 page)

Richard and Stephan Couressime were still sitting there, stunned at this revelation of their baby sister as a Flight Captain, not only accepted by her Flight, but apparently adored.

Noting their bewilderment with more than a little empathy, D’Agostino broached the cask of ale Raik had carried in and handed them both full new tankards. “I’m afraid it’s time for some heavy drinking, my Lords. It’s the best way to deal with sudden shocks like Captain Couressime.”

Only Farid Jatar and Derian Ferris stayed back from the barrel: one because he did not drink, the other because he just couldn’t bring himself to.

Leaving Christiana’s rooms, Jenevra wandered through the Palace feeling pleasantly mellow. She could see the moonlight falling on the gardens, catching on the bronzed roof on the small family temple. Running lightly over the damp lawns, Jenevra made for the temple; catching hold of a thick marble pillar as she slid across the polished floor on wet feet. Grinning, she carried a small prayer lamp full of oil in with her from the side altar, and curled her feet up under her on one of the wide wooden benches facing the intricately carved altar; watching as the small light threw shadows around the room. It had fascinated her as a child, how each of the carvings seemed to blend into the next, creating scenes of legend that flowed in a continuous story. Nine large diamonds high on the front of the altar represented the story she had told at the Inn, of Tore throwing the stars into the sky: but here each star signified one of the regions that made the Empire. The two biggest stars near Tore’s hand were Maressia Major and Minor, with smaller ones lying in a circle around them: Lorthia, Abalos-Colles, Trevannta, Jantara, Bortka and Diruthia. But Jenevra’s favorite was the tenth diamond, the one she called “their” star, the star of Coural; smaller than the others, nestled cozily in between the Maressia stars: the tiny heart of the Empire as she liked to think of it. A peaceful expression emerging on her face, she cupped her hands over the tiny trails of green smoke, and began to pray.

The Emperor’s room was dark when Phillip entered; the fire banked low for the night, so he didn’t immediately notice his wife at the window.

“Phillip?” Christiana turned, giving him a radiant smile. “Good evening?”

“Oh, very enlightening,” he kissed her soundly. “You?”

“Yes, it was fine. It still seems a little strange to be Empress. I keep waiting for your mother to organize things, and she just looks at me.” Christiana sighed happily. “I guess I’ll just have to get used to giving orders!”

“Not too soon, thanks!” Phillip grinned, kissing her again. “I can only deal with one headstrong Couressime at a time.”

“Ah, but I’m a Marissun now, my darling,” she replied archly. “So you’ll just have to get used to it!” Christiana squirmed as he started nuzzling at her neck. “Not so fast, Your Imperial Majesty!” She wriggled out of his reach, moving back to the window. “I’m having far too much fun here!”

“Why, what’s going on?” Phillip came across wrapping his arms around her from behind, and looking over her shoulder at the shadowed gardens.

“Jenn and Tessier. No, no,” she reassured him quickly as Phillip’s eyebrows shot up. “Not like that—not yet anyway.” Christiana pointed down towards the Temple. “Jenn’s down there. She went into the Temple about, oh, half an hour ago, at least.”

“Yes, so?”

“See that shadow, right at the edge of the Palace wall, down by the terrace.” Christiana waited for Phillip’s eyes to discern the vague shape she was referring to. “That’s Tessier!” she announced triumphantly. “He’s just waiting there. Watching Jenn as far as I can tell, but he hasn’t gone into the Temple.”

“Stalking your sister? I’ll have him arrested!”

Christiana knew Phillip far too well to take that seriously, turning round in his arms to laugh with him. “I’m going to have so much fun with this Phil. All those comments I’ve put up with from her about you and me. I am really going to enjoy myself.” She paused for another kiss. “Until he breaks her heart, that is. Then I’ll be deeply sympathetic.”

“Really?” Phillip sounded disbelieving … with good reason. “What makes you think Tessier’s going to break Jenn’s heart? From what I’ve seen it’s more likely to be the other way around. Tessier’s not himself this time; and, believe me, I’m going to make the most of that!”

 CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Having run a somewhat hung over Shadow Flight through their paces, Jenevra dismissed them back in the yard. A piercing whistle attracted her attention as she saw Christiana waving at her from a window. Chuckling at thoughts of what Serena Massili would say if she heard the Empress whistling like that, Jenevra hurried up the stairs to her sister’s suite. Various renditions of “A proper Empress …” were jumping through her mind as Christiana’s maid opened the door to her. Without pausing, Christiana grabbed Jenevra by the hand and started rushing down the hallways with her, towards Jenevra’s own rooms. “Come on, Jenn! Will you move?” Christiana pulled harder.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting you ready.”

“Ready for what? I’m not doing anything … except taking a bath maybe.”

Christiana pushed her sister through the doors of her room, calling for Anna to have a bath drawn immediately, and hurrying across to the newly installed chest where Jenevra’s latest clothing collection was stored. Almost diving into it, Christiana was rummaging through it, obviously looking for something specific.

Jenevra shook her head, and shrugged. She had no idea what was going on.

“Ha! Here it is. I knew I’d ordered this for you.” Christiana held up a dark red tunic and trousers. Ignoring her sister’s frown, she pushed Jenevra towards her bath, pacing up and down as Jenevra washed rather hastily. “Quick! You haven’t got all day, you know.”

“For what?”

“Phillip called a meeting of all the Flight Captains for midday. You’ll be on time, if you hurry. You need to wear this.” She pointed to the red ensemble. “It should look really good on you.”

“Which doesn’t matter in the slightest,” Jenevra grumbled. “So, was anyone going to tell me about this meeting, or was I just going to be informed after the fact?”

“No, Phillip just assumed you’d still be in the Palace, you know, after he told you specifically not to leave it!” Christiana grinned as Jenevra winced, realizing that her usual training run had, in fact, been a direct breach of orders. “You’ll be fine, Jenn. I think I managed to take his mind off it.” Christiana clasped her hands together, smiling beatifically and opening her eyes wide in mock innocence. “Here,” she sat Jenevra on a chair near the fire. “Let me re-braid that for you. I’ll be quicker.”

Knowing that argument was pointless, Jenevra submitted to Christiana’s ministrations. Rather rapidly she found she was ready to go, although feeling highly self conscious in the new clothing, complete with new longer length black boots that reached over her knee. “It’s a bit tight, Chris,” Jenevra was pulling at the trousers and tunic which fit her like a second skin.

“That, my dear little sister is how you clog their thinking when you deal with men,” Christiana confided, looking her sister over with smug satisfaction, and opening up several more buttons on the front of the tunic. “Now go, protect, or whatever it is you’re supposed to do.”

Wrapping the ruby hilted Spirit Sword around her waist, Jenevra headed for the Council Chamber. Sliding in through the door with Commander Rabenaldt, Jenevra took her place at the table, next to Mikyle Manvi.

Phillip’s mouth was twitching. Blaise Tessier’s jaw dropping as Jenevra entered the room had been priceless. “Nice outfit, Captain!”

“Your Majesty is too kind,” Jenevra responded formally.

“Was the Empress involved in this at all?” Phillip asked innocently.

“I don’t know what makes Your Majesty think that, I’m sure.” Her eyes twinkled at him: they both knew Christiana’s penchant for improving people almost matched Serena Massili’s. “She may have suggested that the color might be appropriate.”

“Can you breathe at all?” Raik queried cynically. “Oh, Great Tore! Don’t do that, Jenevra!” as she took a deep breath to prove his point.

“I seem to be able to, Commander. Was there anything else we needed to discuss about my wardrobe? Nothing you’d like to add, Captain Tessier?”

Blaise Tessier managed to shake his head and choke, “Not a thing, Captain.”

“No!” Phillip seemed quite decided about that. “We need to discuss new assignments for the Flights.”

Raik and Jenevra had been expecting this after the meeting yesterday, but the other three Captains perked up at hearing it.

“Pichot,” Phillip turned to the arrogant man to his left. “I want your Flight here and very evident; increase the guard on duty by at least half. Organize it however you see fit, but I want nobody under any illusions about our strength.” Pichot nodded, already scratching notes on a paper in front of him. Despite Jenevra’s deep dislike of the man he was an excellent soldier and meticulously organized.

“Manvi,” Phillip turned to Lennia’s son. “I want you to head over to Trevannta to scout around for me. Roam around Maressia Major a bit too. I want the Empire to feel our presence all over it. Let them know I’m at the helm now. Anything unusual that you see, send a courier back.”

“Anything specific you had in mind, Majesty?” Mikyle asked quietly.

Phillip shook his head. “No, I’m just letting the people know we are here if we are needed. Feel free to drop in on any Barons or Counts you come across. They can provide food and shelter when necessary as part of their duty to the Crown. Of course, you can split your Flights up a little to cover the distances we’re talking about; just don’t get them too small. No less than two hundred men in any group. Commander Rabenaldt, you can travel around as you see fit. If one of the Flights needs help, I’m going to be relying on you to send it. The Border Patrol is a smaller unit anyway, so they can travel fast.” Phillip looked around at the assembled group. “Stay in touch with each other. If you need anything, you get word to Raik as fast as possible. Clear?”

Everyone nodded.

“Tessier,” Phillip’s eyes flickered to Jenevra and back. “Your Flight is going to Bortka. The people there definitely need some assurance that the Empire will look after them. Any hint—and I mean any—of Diruthian involvement in Bortka, and I want to hear about it. Do not take any action unless you absolutely have to. Get word to Raik immediately if you find anything.”

“Jenn …” Phillip looked a little nervously at her, not entirely certain how his unpredictable cousin was going to react now that her mission to Diruthia had been so obviously blocked. “I need you to take your Flight as escort to Prince Mikhail.” He paused as Jenevra’s eyes, so unnervingly like his wife’s, bored into his; and the other Captains sat up attentively. Every one of them could see the danger inherent in the princess protecting the man who’d challenged her right to be Imperial Protector. “He’s returning home to Abalos-Colles for his wedding.”

As no explosion appeared to be forthcoming, Phillip took a deep breath and plunged on. “And Lady Menzetti will be traveling too. Apparently she feels the need to return to the family estate in the south, near Mirizir. You need to get them both to their destinations safely.”

“And then?”

“And then, patrol the southern regions. Aleksander and Caddoc are willing, so you could go down through Abalos-Colles and Lorthia too.” Phillip looked at her expectantly.

“Problem, my Emperor?”

“Umm, no, I don’t think so. No problem with the assignments?”

“Should there be? If there’s nothing else, Your Majesty, I’ll have my Flight prepare to leave as soon as our guests are ready?”

“Not just yet, Captain; we have a few more details to discuss. Oh, and Jenn … there was one more thing. As you’ll already be down there, you can be the official Imperial representative at the wedding.”

“Wedding?”

“Mmm … Prince Mikhail and Princess Artela.” Phillip found a sudden need to look down at the papers he was shuffling on the table.

“As my Emperor commands.” Jenevra’s face was expressionless; her tone bland.

“Good, well, that’s settled then.” Phillip avoided Jenevra’s gaze as he moved into even deeper waters. “Now, before anyone goes anywhere, we will be holding the traditional games that accompany the formation of a new Flight. Just a couple of days. It won’t make much difference to any of your assignments.”

“It’ll make a difference to the terrified people in Bortka!” Jenevra cut in. “They need to see someone protecting them now.”

“You didn’t find any sign that the attack on Albor was anything other than a single incident, did you? Anything that would lead you to believe any other place was in specific danger of attack?” Phillip stood by the window, hands clasped loosely behind his back.

“No, but that doesn’t mean there’s no threat.” Pushing her chair back, Jenevra rose, leaning forward onto the table, an intent expression on her face as she glared at her cousin. “Phillip!”

A darkly pointed glance from the Emperor halted her briefly.

Taking a deep breath she plunged on. “Your Majesty. You can’t just leave them. Not to play some sort of pointless game to keep this lot entertained.” Her hand swept dismissively around the table before landing with a sharp slap on the table.

“It’s not a game, Princess,” Captain Tessier objected swiftly. “It’s more in the nature of a test.”

“What? Test of what?”

“You, my dear Captain, what else?” Tessier’s smile widened as her saw the outraged protest forming in her eyes.

“Me?”

“Thank you so much, Captain Tessier.” Returning to his seat, Phillip hit Tessier sharply on the back of the head. “I think maybe we could have made that just a shade more diplomatic. Sit down, Captain,” he ordered, as Jenevra paced angrily around the room, arms folded tight against her chest.

“How could you?” She demanded. “How could you make me Imperial Protector and then tell me you don’t trust me; that you don’t believe anything I’ve told you? I don’t suppose any of them had to go through this nonsense?”

“They didn’t have anything to prove,” Raik’s brusque tone caught her attention. “Each of the Imperial Captains in here today has served long enough for me to have seen what they are capable of. Unless you’d like to dispute my opinions on that?” Raik’s gray eyes held hers until she shook her head. “The only unknown is you, Captain. Now I am pretty certain that I know what you can do, but no-one else here does. You’re going to have to prove something. That’s what these ‘games’ are for. Your chance to prove to everyone here—and in the Imperial Flights—that your position isn’t merely decorative.”

Always restless when agitated, Jenevra stalked over to the window and stared out of it. “How many times?”

“What?” Phillip was puzzled.

“How many times will I have to do this?”

“What d’you mean ‘how many times’?” The other Imperial Captains shrugged as their Emperor glanced around the table to see if any of them understood what the princess was asking.

Catching their looks, Jenevra sighed deeply, turning round to lean against the window sill. “Well, when Misha … Mikhail … challenged me for the Protectorship, you said, ‘it ends here’. I thought you meant it. I guess nothing ever really changes,” she said, remembering how she’d had to prove herself over and over again on the Island, and dismissing the thoughts. “Never mind. What exactly do I have to do?”

Phillip waved to Commander Rabenaldt to outline the task to all of them; noting the strange mix of regret and determination on her face. When Raik had finished his explanation, Phillip took over. “So, all three Flights will be camped out on the Plains, just south of Salanova. I think maybe what we will do is send one squadron from each Flight up to Bortka for now. That leaves you all still with even numbers, but will give us a visible presence where it’s needed. Will that suit you, my dear cousin?” He smiled slightly as Jenevra nodded.

“That’s it? All my Flight has to do is to reach the Emperor through three Flights worth of soldiers?” The princess rolled her eyes. “That’s the best you can come up with?”

“That’s over three thousand trained soldiers you’ll be trying to get past, Captain,” Mikyle Manvi reminded her. “You only have twenty or so, and you have to reach the Emperor, and do so while making a credible threat. If you can do that, then I guess we won’t have any cause to doubt that you could protect him against similar odds.”

Jenevra shook her head. “I have no idea how any of you survive with thinking like that. Fine, we’ll do it your way, pointless though it is. Anything else you want to throw at me now, before we get into this?”

“Only one,” Raik said. “Your Flight won’t be using weapons.”